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Wednesday, March 8, 2017

** I received the Free to Flourish kit as part of Dayspring's Illustrated Faith Launch Team. Post contains affiliate links. All thoughts are 100% my own.

Freedom.

When we hear this word, so many images come into our mind. We picture a flag flying in the breeze and the service members who fought for our freedom as Americans. We picture a woman standing in a field, arms stretched open wide- free to take it all in. We picture a child singing at the top of her lungs- free from fear of judgement.

All of these are great visuals of what it means to be free, but what does the Bible say about freedom? Simply put, a lot. 2 Corinthians 3:17 tells us, "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." Galations 5:1 likewise tells us, "For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." And perhaps my favorite passage on freedom- Romans 8:1-4 reminds us where our freedom comes from, " There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit."

To be honest, I don't always feel that freedom. Instead I feel as though the weight of the world is resting on my shoulders. Do you ever feel this way? The kids need their mama a million times a day. The bills are piling up faster than the money is coming in. Health issues drag us down. Our to do list keeps on growing, as big as the pile of dishes in the sink. We hold onto past mistakes and allow them to hold us back. As much as I want to be that woman in the field basking in complete and utter freedom, instead I more often feel like the ghost of Jacob Marley, shackled down by heavy chains.

Perhaps one of the most profound moments in my faith occurred one summer at church camp when I was about 18 years old. After one of our worship services, we were each given a simple sack and were asked to go on a little walk. As we walked, we came across stops along the way with a basket of stones and a sign with sins we may or may not have done. Many of these were simple things that pretty much every single one of had done- as simple as telling a fib to our parents. Others were much more personal. And at each stop we were asked to pick up one of these stones if we had been in those situations. It started as a simple enough task, but by the end our bags were heavy and hard to carry on our own. But as we reached the point where we didn't know how we could go on, there stood a cross under which we were able to dump those stones.

As Christians, we have been given an incredible freedom through the sacrifice that Christ made on the cross. We are free from sin, free from Old Testament laws, and free from shame. The dumping of those stones that were weighing us down was the perfect illustration of Christ taking away the burdens that we put upon ourselves. We were not promised a life without problems, but we were promised that Christ would always be there beside us, helping us carry that cross.

The Lord has promised good to meHis word my hope securesHe will my shield and portion beAs long as life enduresMy chains are goneI've been set freeMy God, my Savior has ransomed meAnd like a flood His mercy reignsUnending love, amazing grace

I think we all need this reminder on occasion- to know that we don't have to carry it all on our own. Christ is with us, and through Him, we can have the freedom we desire.

This is just what this month's Illustrated Faith monthly devotional kit- Free to Flourish- provided for me. Take a look inside:

Do you desire to live your life in freedom...the freedom God desires for each of us?—Freedom from...? Freedom to...? In the Free to Flourish devotional kit, Bekah Blankenship insightfully gives prompts for "prayerful thought and reflection" and desires us to "step into the freedom God has so sweetly given each one of us." "I am certain of God's plan to bring you out of an existence of simply surviving into one of thriving. You were made to flourish, my friend!" —Bekah1 plastic pouch1 devotional booklet1 clear stamp collection1 roll of washi tape1 sheet of cut-out paper pieces2 cardstock sticker sheets3 tip-ins1 magnet1 thank you card from Shanna

First and foremost, this kit is absolutely beautiful. The floral look is gorgeous and perfect for the upcoming spring season. And the colors? Oh how I love the gorgeous green, pink and blue... a gorgeous combination! But beyond that, the message is beautiful. One of the first pieces I took notice of upon opening my kit was the tip in that stated simply, "She laughs without fear of the future." (Proverbs 31:25). This is the life that God wants for us... not a life of burdens, but a life of freedom. Free to laugh. Free to sing. Free from fear. Free from shame. Free to dream. Free to flourish.

Ready for a reminder of your freedom in Christ? Free to Flourish is available to purchase at Dayspring now.

Don't forget, use code 25FORYOU to save 25% off and get free shipping on your purchase. No order minimum, expires March 31.

Are you the girl in the field, or burdened with chains? How can this devotional kit help you?